Seven Michigan counties qualify for Livestock Forage Disaster payments

Anna Hooks<hooksann@msu.edu>, AFRE M.S. Student, and Jaime Luke<lukejaim@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - November 21, 2025

The Livestock Forage Disaster Program provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who have dealt with loss of forage due to drought.

brown and black cows standing in a green field looking at the camera — To apply for LFP payments for the 2025 grazing period, eligible producers must provide a completed application form CCC-853 to their USDA FSA office by March 1, 2026. Photo by MSU Extension.

Persistent drought conditions within Michigan in 2025 have left livestock producers and their grazing lands at risk for forage loss. As shown in Figure 1, many Michigan counties are currently experiencing some level of drought conditions. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (commonly referred to as LFP). LFP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who have dealt with loss of forage due to drought.

Fig 1 Drought Monitor for Michigan 2025 depicts areas of drought as explained in story text — Figure 1. U.S. Drought Monitor for Michigan (November 18, 2025).

Which producers are eligible for LFP?

To be eligible for LFP, producers must own, cash or share lease, or be a contract grower of eligible livestock during the 60 calendar days before the beginning date of a qualifying drought. Eligible livestock are grazing animals that get the majority of their nutrition via grazing of forage grasses or legumes. These can include alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo/bison, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, ostrich, reindeer or sheep. Producers must provide pasture or grazing land for covered livestock. This includes cash-rented land as of the date of the qualifying drought. Such land must be physically located in a county affected by a qualifying drought during the normal grazing period for the county.

What is considered a qualifying drought?

Qualifying droughts are determined by the U.S. Drought Monitor, using existing measures: D2 (severe drought), D3 (extreme drought), and D4 (exceptional drought). LFP compensation amounts are based on the severity and duration of drought conditions.

If any part of the county experiences severe drought conditions (D2) for at least eight consecutive weeks during the normal grazing period, producers are eligible for one monthly payment. If any area of a county reaches D3 at any period of time during the normal grazing period, producers are eligible for compensation equal to three monthly payments. Table 1 summarizes the remaining payment rates and drought qualifications.

Table 1. LFP Payment Rates for Eligible Drought Counties

Drought Level	Conditions*	Payment Equal To
D2 (Severe)	8 consecutive weeks	One monthly payment
D3 (Extreme)	Any period of time	Three monthly payments
D3 (Extreme)	4 weeks	Four monthly payments
D4 (Exceptional)	Any period of time	Four monthly payments
D4 (Exceptional)	4 weeks	Five monthly payments
*In any area of the county during the normal grazing period

What are the payment terms?

The LFP monthly payment rate for drought is calculated as 60% of the monthly feed cost for the lesser of either all covered livestock owned or leased by a producer or the number of livestock comprising the normal carrying capacity of the producer’s eligible grazing land. For example, the base beef cow payment rate for 2025 would be 60% of $41.40, resulting in $24.84 per head. The maximum annual payment per producer is set at $125,000 per year. Table 2 shows the feed costs used to calculate LFP monthly payment rates in 2025.

Table 2. Monthly Feed Costs by Eligible Livestock Type for 2025

Livestock	Type	Weight Range	Monthly Feed Cost
Beef	Adult	Bulls, Cows	$41.40
Beef	Non-Adult	500 pounds or more Less than 500 pounds	$31.05 $20.70
Dairy	Adult	Bulls, Cows	$107.64
Dairy	Non-Adult	500 pounds or more Less than 500 pounds	$31.05 $20.70
Beefalo	Adult	Bulls, Cows	$41.40
Beefalo	Non-Adult	500 pounds or more Less than 500 pounds	$31.05 $20.70
Buffalo/Bison	Adult	Bulls, Cows	$41.40
Buffalo/Bison	Non-Adult	500 pounds or more Less than 500 pounds	$31.05 $20.70
Sheep	All		$10.35
Goats	All		$10.35
Deer	All		$10.35
Equine	All		$30.64
Elk	All		$22.36
Reindeer	All		$9.11
Alpacas	All		$9.11
Emus	All		$21.19
Llamas	All		$15.11
Ostrich	All		$22.77

What counties qualify for LFP payments in Michigan?

In previous years, very few Michigan counties have met eligibility requirements for this program. In both 2023 and 2024, only one county experienced severe drought for eight consecutive weeks (Gogebic in 2023, Lenawee in 2024), and no counties experienced extreme or exceptional drought conditions during the normal grazing period. This year, however, seven Michigan counties have met the D2 level drought requirements (at some point during the 2025 grazing season). These counties, highlighted in Figure 2, include Bay, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Midland, Saginaw, and Tuscola. Eligible producers in these counties qualify for payments on land that is native pasture, full-season improved pasture, or forage sorghum.

map of michigan with include Bay, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Midland, Saginaw, and Tuscola.counties highlighted in yellow — Figure 2. Michigan Counties Eligible for LFP Payments in 2025.

How do I apply for LFP payments?

To apply for LFP payments for the 2025 grazing period, eligible producers must provide a completed application (form CCC-853) to their USDA FSA office by March 1, 2026. More information can be found at USDA FSA offices. To find your local USDA FSA office, use the link provided here: USDA Service Centers.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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